In many areas, temperatures may drop below freezing for extended periods. In addition, such areas may be subject to precipitation (such as snow or freezing rain) that may build up on the roofs of various structures. Such structures may typically be heated (and/or have heat absorbing elements such as black shingles) that may cause built up snow to thaw and re-freeze such that an ice dam is created.
Ice dams are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent water from melting snow (and/or ice) to drain off the roof. Water may back up behind the ice dam and leak into a home, causing damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, etc.
Existing solutions utilize ice-melting compounds in forms such as loose granular pieces and formed puck-shaped products. Loose granular compounds may not stay at a particular location as water may carry the grains to other locations. Maintaining the position of the grains using items such as socks or other containers is cumbersome and requires future removal of the containers. Puck-shaped melt products may pool melting water at the puck location without providing a path over or through the ice dam. In addition, a puck-shaped product may unnecessarily limit the surface area of exposed melting compound.
Thus there is a need for an ice melting and clearing solution that maximizes the surface area of a melting compound, retains a position, and provides a channel for drainage through an ice dam.